Wednesday, 30 Jan 2013

Written Answers Nos. 138-143

Local Authority Finances

Questions (138)

Michael Creed

Question:

138. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of money held on deposit by each town council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4664/13]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

Deposits held by town councils comprise cash balances and short term bank investments. The amount held on deposit by each town council at 31 December 20 10, the latest year for which audited information is available, is set out below.

Town Councils	Total
Arklow	€8,767,025
Athlone	€4,064,175
Athy	€2,411,038
Ballina	€3,847,743
Ballinasloe	€22,551,837
Birr	€2,324,741
Bray	€16,404,077
Buncrana	€1,360,006
Bundoran	€5,379,291
Carlow	€11,509,364
Carrick on Suir	€3,534,193
Carrickmacross	€4,150,766
Cashel	€4,047,755
Castlebar	€9,105,236
Castleblayney	€496,246
Cavan	€5,259,178
Clonakility	€6,258,953
Clones	€316,336
Cobh	€75,301
Dundalk	€14,593,993
Dungarvan	€127
Ennis	€1,984,600
Enniscorthy	€5,166,820
Fermoy	€1,171,459
Kells	€900,159
Killarney	€10,396,484
Kilrush	€2,540,618
Kinsale	€628,969
Letterkenny	€7,777
Listowel	€2,947,719
Longford	€3,742,468
Macroom	€4,014,469
Mallow	€8,175,738
Midleton	€10,145,659
Monaghan	€1,523,410
Naas	€7,744,465
Navan	€5,883,322
Nenagh	€2,284,575
New Ross	€3,108,861
Skibbereen	€3,989,565
Templemore	€1,987,406
Thurles	€11,709,154
Tipperary	€3,106,899
Tralee	€16,205,772
Trim	€154,268
Tullamore	€3,796,932
Westport	€4,173,391
Wicklow	€1,600,351
Youghal	€3,041,307

Departmental Funding

Questions (139)

Luke 'Ming' Flanagan

Question:

139. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason the funds given by his Department to the Irish Environmental Network, which can be anything from €700,000 to €1,000,000 per year, are not accountable or made public by the Irish Environmental Network; the action he will take to bring clarity to the use to which the funds are put; if he will consider making the network available for scrutiny under freedom of information legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4717/13]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

The Irish Environmental Network (IEN) is an umbrella organisation for 32 environmental NGOs in Ireland. It was established as the Environmental (Ecological) NGOs Core Funding Limited in 2001 and trades as the Irish Environmental Network. My Department provides funding to the IEN to help build and maintain the capacity of its member organisations to assist them to contribute effectively to the development and implementation of environmental policy, in line with the public participation requirements of the Aarhus Convention and various EU directives. Funding is also provided, through the IEN, to facilitate the Environmental Pillar's involvement in Social Partnership to ensure that environmental considerations are fully reflected in discussions and policy development at a local, regional and national level. Commencing in late 2012, funding is also being provided through the IEN to facilitate participation in the Environmental Law Implementation Group, which aims to improve the transposition, implementation and enforcement of environmental law through improved communication between policy makers and the Environmental Pillar.

My Department's grant to the IEN is provided from the Environment Fund. The grant amounts for each year are set out in the Fund's Annual Accounts, which are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General; copies of these accounts are available on my Department's website, www.environ.ie.  The IEN is required to file accounts with the Companies Registration Office (CRO), and these are available on www.cro.ie. (Company no. 350 182). The IEN also submits its accounts to my Department each year as a condition of the grant payment. As well as the funding provided by my Department directly to the IEN, individual member organisations receive funding for specific initiatives from my Department and other public bodies; for example, my Department provided funding of €180,000 in 2012 to An Taisce to support the Green Schools programme.

The Programme for Government commits to restoring Freedom of Information (FOI) and to extending its remit to all public bodies as well as to significantly-funded non-public bodies. My colleague, Minister Howlin, is currently progressing FOI proposals and expects to publish the bill in the current session. Following enactment of the bill, in due course, decisions on the significantly-funded non-public bodies to be included will be made in consultation with the relevant Departments and will have regard to the necessity for appropriate public oversight and accountability .

Details of the funding allocation to the IEN for 2012 is set out in the table.

	€
Irish Environmental Funding Allocation s 2012
Core Funding to support member organisations – this funding is divided between the 32 member NGOs. Funding is allocated by a panel that assesses submissions from each of the NGOs. A Department representative attends the panel meeting.	395,000
Administration costs of the IEN Secretariat	90,000
Research into environmental implications of National Government and local authority policies/plans and preparation of submissions	10,000
Contribution towards costs of participation of ENGO reps on bodies organised/ sponsored by Government bodies/agencies	10,000
Participation in international NGO meetings/conferences	10,000
Participation in inter-governmental conferences	10,000
Preparation for Rio +20	10,000
Grant for the purchase of video-conferencing equipment to reduce both costs and CO2 emissions from travel	10,000
Provision for training	5,000
Participation in the planning process	5,000
Biodiversity policy project	40,000
Development of green economy policy document	4,000
Environmental Law Implementation Group	5,280
Environmental Pillar – attendance at meetings and co-ordinator's salary	180,000
Total Funding Allocations to IEN for 2012	784,280

Unfinished Housing Developments

Questions (140)

Martin Heydon

Question:

140. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the serious concerns of residents in private housing estates which are not yet taken in charge but where the developer is inactive and public lighting within the estate is not being maintained causing health and safety concerns as estates are in darkness; the provisions made in these cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4731/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

I am chairing the National Co-ordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments to oversee implementation of the Report of the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments, together with the Government's response to the recommendations. The Committee includes representatives from the Irish Banking Federation, local authorities, the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency, NAMA and the construction sector. Real progress is being made with regard to the public safety works required to improve the living conditions of existing residents on some unfinished estates and the Committee is meeting on a regular basis to oversee this effort.

My Department launched the Public Safety Initiative in March 2011, which provided funding to address immediate public safety issues. The types of works that have been approved to date under the PSI include the fencing off of unsecured and hazardous areas, capping of pipes, installation of street lighting and other works to secure sites. Under the PSI, my Department has made allocations totalling some €3.879 million to 21 local authorities from the funding made available and to date a total of €2.515 million has been drawn down by local authorities. The Public Safety Initiative provides funding only in instances where a developer has abandoned the development. However, in circumstances where the developer is merely inactive, the responsibility for the maintenance and resolution of issues surrounding the development are matters which need to be addressed between the developer and the relevant stakeholders, and my Department has no remit in this regard.

Security of the Elderly

Questions (141)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

141. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if security lighting is provided to elderly persons under the senior alert scheme (details supplied) [4788/13]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

The Seniors Alert Scheme (SAS) provides grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of safety and security equipment to enable older persons, without sufficient means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Applications are made through the applicant's local community or voluntary group. Since March 2012 funding has been provided exclusively for the purchase and installation of socially monitored alarms and from that time security lighting has not been provided under the scheme.

Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding

Questions (142)

Kevin Humphreys

Question:

142. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has received the submission from Dublin City Council on the Rathmines and Pembroke sewerage scheme in late November-early December under the Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2013; the funding available for a consultant to prepare a preliminary report for the scheme; if the brief for hiring a consultant is separate to the original submission for funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4791/13]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

The Rathmines & Pembroke Sewerage Scheme is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013, as a scheme to advance through the planning stage. My Department has received a Brief for a Consultant to prepare a Preliminary Report for the scheme from Dublin City Council and this is currently being examined. The submission also includes a Planning Stage budget for the contract. A decision on the matter will issue to the Council as soon as possible.

Citizenship Applications

Questions (143)

Pat Deering

Question:

143. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when a decision on an application for residency will issue in respect of a person (details supplied). [4561/13]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am advised by the Citizenship Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that the application for a certificate of naturalisation received from the person referred to by the Deputy is currently being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation, such as good character and lawful residence, and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible.

As well as being a significant event in the life of its recipient, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation as provided for in law is also a major step for the State which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.